International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-003, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Production of ethanol from cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta)

W. Braide¹ and R. N. Nwaoguikpe²

Abstract

¹Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B 1526, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

²Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B 1526, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 18 June, 2020

Abstract

Cocoyam is an edible root crop belonging to the family Araceae. It makes significant contribution both as root crop and vegetable in the diet of mainly Africans people and Nigerians inparticularly. The high percentage of starch was exploited in the production of ethanol. Two hundred grams (200 g) of mashed Colocasia esculenta, gelatinized in a pressure cooker was allowed to undergo two stage enzyme hydrolysis using bacterial alpha-amylase (Amylitic-TS) and fungal alpha-amylase (AMG) to produce fermentable sugar (wort). The hydrolysed liquor was inoculated with viable yeast cells, Saccharomyces uvarum, and yielded 12.9% ethanol after 7 days of fermentation. The pH and brix level (total soluble solids) of the fermenting broth dropped significantly from 4.50 to 3.82 and 15.0 to 2.0 respectively. This suggested that the saccharification process was effective. The reduced pH provided an enabling environment for optimum activity of the yeast. The sugar level decreased appreciably as the ethanol content increased from 0 to 12.9%. The decrease in the specific gravity from 1.0000 to 0.9830 could be attributed to the decrease in the brix level as the sugar in the broth was converted to ethanol.

Key words: Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta), ethanol production, enzyme hydrolysis, Saccharomyces uvarum.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-004, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-010, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of nickel toxicity on the alteration of phosphate pool and the suppressing activity of phosphorolytic enzymes in germinating seeds and growing seedlings of rice

R. Maheshwari and R. S. Dubey*

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India.

Accepted 18 May, 2020

Abstract

To determine the effects of nickel on the phosphate pool and the activity of phosphorolytic enzymes in rice germinating seeds and growing seedlings, rice CVS. Malviya-36 and Pant-12 were germinated for 120 h, submitted to 200 and 400 µM NiSO₄ and the level of phosphate pool and the activities of key phosphorolytic enzymes acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and inorganic pyrophosphatase were observed in germinating seeds and growing seedlings. The result showed that in germinating rice seeds, 400 µM NiSO₄ treatment caused a decline in phosphate pool at 24 h of germination but during the later period of 72 to 120 h, an increase in phosphate level was observed in both endosperms and embryoaxes, while in seedlings raised for 10 to 20 days, a decline in total phosphate pool was noticed. With a nickel treatment level of 400 µM in situ, about 19 to 38% decline in acid phosphatase activity was observed in endosperms and embryoaxes at 96 h of germination and 23 to 52% decline in activity in roots and shoots in 15 day grown seedlings. Similarly the seeds germinating in presence of 400 µM Ni²⁺ showed about 17 to 41% decline in alkaline phosphatase activity in endosperms and about 51 to 59% in embryoaxes at 72 h of germination while about 21 to 60% inhibition of alkaline phosphatase activity was noticed in roots and shoots of 15 day grown seedlings under 400 µM Ni²⁺ treatment. The activity of inorganic pyrophosphatase was also inhibited substantially in germinating rice seeds and growing rice seedlings in presence of 200 µM or 400 µM Ni²⁺. The results suggested that alteration in the level of phosphate pool and inhibition in the activities of phosphorolytic enzymes might contribute to reduced metabolic activities, delayed germination of rice seeds and decreased vigour of seedlings in Ni²⁺ polluted environment.

Key words: Germination, nickel, phosphate, phosphatase, rice, seedling.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-007, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-006, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Analysis of viscosity of jamun fruit juice, squash and jam at different compositions to ensure the suitability of processing applications

Muhammad Shahnawaz¹* and Saghir Ahmed Shiekh²

¹Department of Food Technology, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan.

²Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Singh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan.

Accepted 22 October, 2020

Abstract

Rheological behavior of jamun fruit (Eugenia jambolana) juice, squash and jam at different compositions was studied at the Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Singh Agriculture University, Tandojam in 2007. LFRA Texture Analyzer of Brookfield Engineering was used to determine the flow properties and consistency of the products. Two indigenous cultivars of jamun (indigenous-V1 and Improved-V2) were exploited for processing application. The suitability of viscosity was based on the compositions of TSS, total sugars, acidity and pH of the products. Results revealed that squash and ready-to-drink juice of jamun had showed significant rheological behavior, however, jam has rather poor quality attributes and was more sticky. Thus, the study specifies the shear-rate and shears-stress values of jamun and their rheological behavior. This study would be a ready reference and helpful communication particularly to those desires for commercial processing of jamun products with customary feature.

Key words: Jamun cultivars, processing of jam, squash, juice, viscosity analysis.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 10 (12), pp. 001-006, December, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Identification of genes involved in rice seed germination at low temperatures

Demócrito Amorim Chiesa Freitas¹, SilmarTeichert Peske², Francisco Amaral Villela², Paulo Dejalma Zimmer², Paulo Ricardo Reis Fagundes³, Fernanda Plucani do Amaral⁴, Elaine Gonçalves Rech⁵ and Geri Eduardo Meneghello¹*

¹Post Graduation Seeds Science and Technology, FAEM-UFPel, Campus s/n, C. P. 354, Zip Code 96010-900 Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

²Post Graduation Seed Science and Technology, FAEM - UFPel – Campus, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

³Researcher of Embrapa Clima Temperado. Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

⁴Post Graduation Seed Science and Technology, FAEM - UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

⁵Post-Doctoral in Seed Science and Technology, FAEM - UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

Accepted 22 November, 2020

Abstract

Rice is a model for many genomic studies among crop species. The adaptation to different crop environments is partly the result of traditional breeding combined with molecular assisted selection. Comparative studies between contrasting genotypes can be performed efficiently by the cDNA-AFLP technique, allowing the identification of genes involved in the expression of the target trait. The objective of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes in cultivars contrasting for the character germination at low temperatures. The genotypes used were BRS-Firmeza (Tolerant) and SCSBRS Tio-Taka (Sensitive). Seeds of the two cultivars were sown at 13 and 25°C, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from embryos and cDNAs were synthesized. The cDNAs were analyzed by AFLP (Amplified Fragments Length Polymorphisms) to identify differentially expressed sequences between BRS-Firmeza and SCSBRS Tio-Taka varieties. Four polymorphic fragments were present at 13°C IN BRS-Firmeza molecular profile and absent in SCSBRS Tio-Taka. It is concluded that the technique of AFLP on cDNA as template is efficient to produce and identify fragments of differentially expressed genes in rice during germination under low temperatures.

Key words: Oryza sativa, seeds, cDNA-AFLP (cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism).